Software based driving directions

ABSTRACT

A method for electronically generating driving directions including: indicating a starting address; indicating an ending address; indicating one or more preferences for the directions to include less than all steps that would otherwise be generated if not for the one or more preferences; and generating driving directions based on the indicated starting address, ending address, and one or more preferences. Also provided is a method for electronically generating driving directions including: indicating a starting address; indicating an ending address; instructing the use of less than all steps that would otherwise be generated if not for the instruction; and generating driving directions based on the indicated starting address, ending address, and instruction. Also provided is a method for electronically generating driving directions by indicating addresses or locations on a map.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser.No. 11/250,715 filed on Oct. 14, 2005 and issuing as U.S. Pat. No.7,640,100 on Dec. 29, 2009, the entire contents of which is incorporatedherein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to software for drivingdirections and, more particularly, to methods for providing drivingdirections over an Internet web site.

2. Prior Art

Obtaining driving directions from software or at an Internet web siteare well known in the art. Examples of web sites which offer suchservices are Mapquest, Mapblaster, Yahoo and Rand McNally. Generally, auser enters a starting address and an ending address and software orother algorithm generates driving directions and displays the same tothe user. When generating such directions, the software or algorithmuses a system to determine what routes are best, such as a weightingsystem which assigns certain weights to different types of roads, suchas small roads, secondary roads, and parkways/highways/expressways(collectively referred to herein as highways). Depending on the distancebetween the starting and ending address, the software or algorithm maygenerate directions with or without highway travel.

Although such directions are very useful, a user cannot customize thedirections to suit his/her particular needs and needs to enter veryspecific instructions for starting and ending addresses.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, a method is provided for electronically generating drivingdirections. The method comprising: indicating a starting address;indicating an ending address; indicating one or more preferences for thedirections to include less than all steps that would otherwise begenerated if not for the one or more preferences; and generating drivingdirections based on the indicated starting address, ending address, andone or more preferences.

The one or more preferences can comprise an indication to use no roadsof a certain type in the generated driving directions. The roads of acertain type can be highways.

The one or more preferences can comprise an indication to generatedriving directions that start from a nearest highway.

The one or more preferences can comprise an indication to generatedriving directions that start from a named road or highway.

The one or more preferences can comprise an indication to generatedriving directions that include a named road or highway.

Also provided is a method for electronically generating drivingdirections. The method comprising: indicating a starting address;indicating an ending address; instructing the use of less than all stepsthat would otherwise be generated if not for the instruction; andgenerating driving directions based on the indicated starting address,ending address, and instruction.

The instructing can comprise indicating a beginning or ending road byclicking on a map.

The method can further comprise generating full driving directions fromthe indicated starting and ending addresses and the instructingcomprises indicating a step in the generated full directions toeliminate prior or subsequent steps from the driving directions based onthe indicated starting address, ending address, and instruction.

The method can further comprise generating full driving directions fromthe indicated starting and ending addresses and the instructingcomprises indicating one or more selected steps in the generated fulldirections to include in the driving directions based on the indicatedstarting address, ending address, and instruction.

Still yet provided is a method for electronically generating drivingdirections. The method comprising: indicating a starting address orlocation on a map; indicating an ending address or location on a map;and generating driving directions based on the indicated startingaddress or location and ending address or location.

The starting address can be indicated on a first map and the endingaddress is indicated on the first map.

The starting address can be indicated on a first map and the endingaddress is indicated on a second map.

The method can further comprise indicating an intermediate address orlocation on the map where the generating generates driving directionsfrom the starting address or location to the intermediate address andlocation and from the intermediate address or location to the endingaddress or location. The intermediate address can be indicated on thesame map as one of the starting and ending address. The intermediateaddress can be indicated on a different map as one of the starting andending address.

The indicating can comprise clicking on the starting address or locationon the map and clicking on the ending address or location on the map.

The indicating can comprise clicking on the starting address or locationon the map and dragging to the ending address or location on the map.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the apparatus ofthe present invention will become better understood with regard to thefollowing description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:

FIG. 1 illustrates a user-interface for driving directions according toa first embodiment.

FIG. 2 illustrates a user-interface for driving directions according toa second embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Although the present invention is applicable to numerous types ofsoftware and web-based services, it is particularly useful in theenvironment of the Internet. Therefore, without limiting theapplicability of the present invention to the Internet, it will bedescribed in such environment. Those skilled in the art will appreciatethat the methods of the present invention can be carried out by anystand-alone software, for use on PC's, cell phones, PDA's and the likein which directions are obtained from a database map or on web-basedsystems such as an Internet or a local intranet.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a user interface is shown therein for use withsoftware or algorithm (collectively referred to as software) forgenerating driving directions, the user interface being generallyreferred to by reference numeral 100. The user interface 100 can bedisplayed on any type of display, such as a television, PC or laptopmonitor, cell-phone display, PDA display and the like. Theuser-interface 100 can also be displayed in a window or as a web page.

The user-interface has a portion 102 for entering a starting address anda portion 104 for entering an ending address. Such portions 102, 104 canhave text boxes corresponding to an address 102 a, 104 a, city 102 b,104 b, state 102 c, 104 c, and ZIP code 102 d, 104 d. The user interfacecan also have a button 106 or other means for instructing the softwareto input the entered starting and ending address and to generate drivinginstructions based thereon. Algorithms for generating driving directionsbased on a starting and ending address are well known in the art. Theuser-interface may have other options which are not shown in FIG. 1,such as entering the starting or ending addresses from a list of savedaddresses or recently used addresses, entering a landmark, such as anairport as the starting or ending address, entering a latitude/longitudeas the starting and/or ending address and requesting either the fastestroute or the shortest route. The user-interface may also allow the userto select displaying a map along with the generated driving directions.

The driving directions generated generally include step-by-stepdirections for getting from the starting address to the ending address,including any highways if the distance or other variable associated withthe trip merits the same. Other considerations may also be used fordetermining whether highways are part of the generated directions, suchas proximity to either the starting or ending address. However, the userhas no input into whether highways are part of the generated directionsor which highways are part of the generated directions.

Therefore, the user interface can include an instruction, such as acheck box 108 for instructing the software or algorithm to not use anyhighways in the generation of the directions. For example, the user maynot like to drive on highways because they are a new driver, or they donot like to drive fast, or because the highways are crowded or closeddue to an accident or construction. Therefore, the user can obtaindriving directions without any highways where the software or algorithmwould otherwise indicate one or more highways. Similarly, the user canindicate that no other types of roads be used in generating the drivingdirections, such as no secondary roads, or rural roads, or interstates.

The user-interface can also include an instruction, such as a check box110 for instructing the software or algorithm to provide directions thatstart from the highway nearest to the starting address. For example,users often need directions from their home or work starting address andknow how to get to the nearest highway. Therefore, the directions fromthe starting address to the nearest highway is often not necessary.

The user-interface can also include an instruction, such as a check box112 for instructing the software or algorithm to provide directions thatstart from a named highway (or other named road) that is entered in acorresponding text box 112 a. Similarly, the user-interface can alsoinclude an instruction, such as a check box 114 for instructing thesoftware or algorithm to provide directions that use a named highway (orother named road) that is entered in a corresponding text box 114 a. Forexample, users may prefer one highway or road over another even thoughit may not provide the fastest or shortest route to the ending address,possibly because the user has to run an errand or make a stop at alocation that is not along the fastest or shortest route between thestarting and ending locations.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the check boxes 108-114can be replaced with other means well known in the software/programmingarts, such as a touch screen, voice commands or other clicking typecommands, such as by clicking on a particular highway on a map providedon the user-interface to indicate that the directions should begin orend at such road, or highlighting an area on a map for generatingdirections, or after generation of full directions, clicking on aparticular step to indicate that the directions should be re-generatedand any prior or subsequent steps are to be eliminated or highlighting,checking, or otherwise indicating a selected number of steps andregenerating the directions to only include such steps.

Of course, one or more of such features may be provided with the userinterface, and one or more of the features, where not inconsistent, canbe used simultaneously.

The user may also want driving instructions that includes less then allof the steps that is otherwise generated by the software or algorithm,either at the beginning, middle and/or end of the generated directions.In such a situation, the user can instruct the software or algorithm toprovide directions that does not include the full generated directionsteps by any indication means known in the art, such as by clicking on aparticular highway or road on a map provided on the user-interface toindicate that the directions should begin or end at such road. Also,after generation of full directions between the starting and endingaddresses, clicking on a particular step in a display of the fulldirections to indicate that the directions should be re-generated andany prior or subsequent steps are to be eliminated. Furthermore, theuser can highlight, check, or otherwise indicate a selected number ofsteps and regenerate the directions to only include such steps.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a user interface is shown therein for use withsoftware for generating driving directions, the user interface beinggenerally referred to by reference numeral 200. The user interface 200can be displayed on any type of display, such as a television, PC orlaptop monitor, cell-phone display, PDA display and the like. Theuser-interface 200 can also be displayed in a window or as a web page.

FIG. 2 illustrates a user interface 200 having a map 202 displayedthereon. The map 202 generally displays indicia such as roads,railroads, parks, airports, stadiums and other landmarks. The indiciagenerally have names displayed, such as road names, town names, highwaynames and exit names, railroad names and stops, park and lake names andthe like. The user-interface 200 can also include means for traversingthe map 202, such as directional buttons 204 a-d and zoom bar 206 forzooming in or out. The map 202 can be generated by entering an address,by simply entering a town, city, or state name, by entering a zip codeand the like.

Directions from a starting location to an ending location can then begenerated by software by indicating the starting address/location andending address/location on the map, which can include any of thelandmarks discussed above. An intermediate address/location between thestarting and ending addresses/locations can also be indicated. Suchindication can be a first click at the starting address/location and asubsequent click on an ending address/location, which serves to inputsuch starting and ending addresses/locations to the software oralgorithm for generation of the directions. The second click can also beat the intermediate address/location and a third click can be at theending address/location. Such indication can also be a click at thestarting address/location and a drag to an ending address/location,which serves to input such starting and ending addresses/locations tothe software or algorithm for generation of the directions. If anintermediate address/location is indicated, the generated directionswill be from the starting address/location to the intermediateaddress/location and then to the ending address/location.

Thus, depending on the detail shown on the map (the degree to which itis zoomed in or out), the directions can be from a very specificstarting and/or ending address/location or from a general startingand/or ending address/location. For example, if a user only needsgeneral directions to a particular area, he/she can use the map to getdirections to a particular street, town, zip code, park, lake, stadiumetc. instead of to a very specific address (especially where a location,such as a lake does not generally have an address). Although FIG. 2shows a single map, the starting, ending, and/or intermediateaddresses/locations can be on different maps. Such different maps can bedisplayed simultaneously, such as in different windows on the samedisplay or can be displayed sequentially.

While there has been shown and described what is considered to bepreferred embodiments of the invention, it will, of course, beunderstood that various modifications and changes in form or detailcould readily be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention. It is therefore intended that the invention be not limited tothe exact forms described and illustrated, but should be constructed tocover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appendedclaims.

1. A method for electronically generating driving directions withouttext entry, the method comprising: indicating a starting address orstarting location on a map without text entry; indicating an endingaddress or ending location on a map without text entry; and generatingdriving directions based on the indicated starting address or startinglocation and ending address or ending location; wherein the startingaddress is indicated on a first map and the ending address is indicatedon a second map.
 2. A method for electronically generating drivingdirections without text entry, the method comprising: indicating astarting address or starting location on a map without text entry;indicating an ending address or ending location on a map without textentry; generating driving directions based on the indicated startingaddress or starting location and ending address or ending location; andindicating an intermediate address or location on the map where thegenerating generates driving directions from the starting address orlocation to the intermediate address and location and from theintermediate address or location to the ending address or location;wherein the intermediate address is indicated on a different map as oneof the starting and ending address.
 3. The method of claim 1, whereinthe indicating comprises clicking on the starting address or location onthe map and clicking on the ending address or location on the map.
 4. Amethod for electronically generating driving directions without textentry, the method comprising: indicating a starting address or startinglocation on a map without text entry; indicating an ending address orending location on a map without text entry; and generating drivingdirections based on the indicated starting address or starting locationand ending address or ending location; wherein the indicating comprisesclicking on the starting address or location on the map and dragging tothe ending address or location on the map.